On The Run
by The Princess of Stars
Summary: He was ready to fight the Blight and at the King's side, what he didn't expect was how he was going to end up doing so, the people he was going to meet, where his journey was going to take him, how he was going to change and who he was going to become. Of one thing he was sure: he was not going to lose another family... not to the Howes and not to the Blight. *Rating may go up*


**Hi everyone! I haven't been writing for a while. It's been kind of busy between university and... drumroll please... my Dragon Age themed LARP group! What can I saw? I love Dragon Age and it is about time that I wrote a fanfiction about my second run and NPCs in our LARP background adaptation.  
I hope for this..._ adaptation_ of the playthrough that made it to our group's background.**

**This is pretty much a retelling of my playthrough, only adding some more content to it like what to me felt like small plot holes or unspoken dialogues that needed to be said or simply how I think the characters would act with one another in moments that are not shown in the game, along with a few minor changes like the character's age, for example: Garrett and Morrigan are 22, Leliana and Alistair are 20.  
This is kind of an experiment. Let's see together where this idea is going.  
**

**Enojoy!**

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Garrett Cousland, second son of Teryn Bryce Cousland of Highever. That title meant nothing to him now. Those were his only thoughts as he rode beside Warden Duncan as they headed towards Ostagar to meet with King Cailan.  
_I know it's difficult to stay in the castle and watch the others ride off, but we must see to our duties first. You understand that, don't you? Trust me, you'll get your chance of excitement soon enough. _His mother told him that only a few days ago, when he had resigned to stay behind and watch his father and brother go fight against the darkspawn. He couldn't help but wonder if his mother was already suspecting something at the time, but Garrett knew her well. She was a strong, intelligent woman, she would have been ready had she known or even had a suspicion. What had happened was definitely not his idea of excitement, it was far from it and neither was it what came after. The fighting, the Joining, watching a companion die and Duncan kill the other the moment he tried to walk away in fear, the pain he went through as he drank darkspawn blood.  
He looked and sounded the same, but he had changed. Something within him was different now, he could now sense the darkspawn, according to Alistair, his new brother in arms. When the battle of Ostagar began, Garrett couldn't imagine how it was going to end. He and Alistair had fought their way through the fortress and to the tower where the beacon they had to light was waiting for them. Both him and Alistair realized there was something wrong out there, but neither had had the chance to go see for themselves as they were soon attacked by more darkspawn. They didn't even have enough time to react as the archers shot them and that was the last thing Garrett saw before blacking out.

When he woke up, he found himself in an unknown place. It looked like a hut. His vision was fuzzed, he blinked a few times, trying to clear his sight. It was definitely a hut. He tried to get up but gasped at the sudden pain in his side and shoulder, forcing him back down on what he realized was a humble bed. He looked down only to realize he was half naked and had three brand new scars with what looked like a greasy green ointment upon them. It didn't have a good smell, but it felt refreshing.

"Ah, your eyes finally opened. Mother shall be pleased"

He knew that voice, it wasn't new to him. His sea-green eyes searched the source of that known voice and found it as they met the young woman's golden ones. He blinked a few more times and slowly sat up.

"You… I remember you… you're… the girl from the Wilds" he said as his head slowly decreased its spinning.

"_I _am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten, and we are in the Wilds, where I am bandaging your wounds. You're welcome, by the way" she said. Only then Garrett realized she was holding a bandage in her hands. He only had a few seconds before she started to bandage his wounds, without waiting for his response, but it was enough for him to take her in once more, like he did the first time in the wilds. She was beautiful and different from the women he had met before. Normally his train of thoughts would have immediately gone to taking in the sight before him, especially when he was being bandaged by a beautiful woman with a rather revealing, yet fitting tunic, but this time, his mind wondered someplace else.

"How does your memory fare? Do you remember mother's rescue?" the timing for that question had been so appropriate and perfect that for a moment he wondered if Morrigan could read his mind.

"I remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn…" Garrett replied, clearing his raspy throat. He looked at Morrigan as she bandaged him, looking for answers.

"Mother managed to save you and your friend, though 'twas a close call. What is important is that you both live" she said calmly as if talking about doing chores "The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won the battle" Garrett's eyes widen in shock. He knew something was wrong, he remembered feeling it in his guts, as he felt uncomfortable when he met said man. There was something sinister about him. "Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend… he's not taking it well" that last phase was said with sympathy.

"My friend… Alistair? Is he alright? What happened to the king and the Grey Wardens?" he asked, hoping to not to get the answer he was expecting.

"All dead" and it was what he got "Your friend has veered between denial and grief since Mother told him. He's outside by the fire, Mother asked to see you when you awoke"

"Why does your Mother want to see me?" he asked, his voice filled with grief as well. Now he didn't really care for the answer… he had lost everything and with the Wardens gone, he had lost hope. Morrigan tapped gently on his arm, asking him to lift it up a bit so she could bandage his torso easily, he obliged.

"I do not know. She rarely tells me her plans" she replied calmly. He remained quiet for a second and then looked at her, as if realizing just now what she was doing.

"Were my injuries severe?"

"Yes, but I expect you shall be fine. The darkspawn did nothing mother could not heal" she said as she finished wrapping him up.

"How's Alistair? Is he alright?"

"He is, as you are, though I suppose it would be unkind to say he was being childish" she said straightening up as she was done. _Yes, it is unkind, he's grieving…_ he thought, but didn't say anything out loud, but then he remembered the impression he had of Flemeth when he first met her, she didn't look like a great model of empathy. "There. All done. Very well, if you don't have any other questions, I suggest you go speak to Mother, Warden" she said and without waiting for a response walked to the door.

"Morrigan" Garrett called her. The witch turned around looking slightly annoyed at being held back "Thank you for helping me" Garrett noticed as her eyes slightly widen and she almost jumped at those simple words. He didn't even notice it brought a tiny smile to his face.

"I…" she seemed at loss of words for a second "…you are welcome, though Mother did most of the work, I am no healer" she added recomposing immediately.

"Can I ask you something, if you don't mind?"

"I do not mind, what do you wish to know?" he was glad to hear that response. Before going he needed to know what was going on if he and Alistair were going to have any chance of going somewhere safe to figure out a plan on how to get moving. Morrigan answered his questions effortlessly, she warned him about the darkspawn and told him what was going on. In her cynical fashion, Morrigan made a good point regarding as to why her mother would save them and not the king, who would have made a much higher ransom.

"Wow, thank you!" was his reply, though it managed to bring a small smile to his face.

"Is it not?" she replied as if challenging him to prove her wrong. He was about to reply, but knew she was right and admitted to it, earning a victorious smirk from her, before becoming serious once more and asked her about the battle and what was going on at Ostagar. The news only made his blood boil in anger. What kind of man has his people massacred and left to be food for those monsters or toys for them if hey had the misfortune of surviving?

"Why would Loghain leave his men and the King to die? It makes no sense" he wondered out loud.

"I don't even know who this Loghain is!" Morrigan answered "Perhaps ask Mother, she might have an idea" Garrett nodded.

"Alight… thank you again. I'll get going" he saw it once more, but this time Morrigan hid her surprise well,

"Yes, you should. She is not really a patient one. Speak with Mother, then be on your way" and with that she left him in the room to get dressed. As expected, he found Alistair outside. The young Warden was not emotionally fine, just as expected. They had talked a little and he knew that the Wardens to him represented so much more than just an order of darkspawn exterminators and Duncan was like a father to him. He didn't need to say it, Garrett could see it in his eyes. His death, along the one of each Warden had been a stab in the back, especially knowing what had happened with Loghain. It was his fault. Flemeth interrupted their talk explaining them why she rescued them. The Blight was here and to defeat the Blight, the Gray Wardens were necessary.

"How are we going to do that? We would need an army to stand against the horde and we don't have it" Alistair said "Not to mention that Loghain blamed his betrayal on us…" he said with anger in his eyes. Garrett knew that anger all to well, it was his same anger. The one he held for Howe. Still, that sentence made him click.

"But we have the Grey Warden treaties" he said, and Alistair lit up.

"The treaties… of course! The treaties obligate mages, elves, and dwarves to aid the Grey Warden in times of need. We should also head to Redcliff and speak with Arl Eamon. He's a good man, I know him, and he's also Cailan's unlce. Once he hears the truth of what happened he will surely lend his aid" he said determent.

"I don't know about you but, an Arl, mages, elves and dwarves, that sounds like an army to me" Flemeth said with a smirk.

"Thank you for everything, Flemeth. You and Morrigan both. We best be on our way now" Garret said sharing a look with Alistair.

"Yes, now, before you go, there is one more thing I can offer you" she said eyeing the hut, the exact moment Morrigan came out to join them.

"The stew is bubbling Mother dear; shall we have two guests for the eve or none?" she said giving both men a look.

"The Wardens are will be leaving shortly girl… and you will join them"

"Such a shame- WHAT?!" she exclaimed as she realized what her mother had just said.

"You heard me, girl. The last I checked you had ears" she said and laughed. Garrett looked between the two and smiled a bit at Morrigan, not just for the priceless face she made, but because to think about it, he liked the idea of having her with them. Still, he didn't want to force her.

"Thank you, but if Morrigan doesn't want to join us it's alright. We'll be fine" he said giving the younger witch a small smile.

"Her magic will be useful" Flemeth said "Even better, she knows the Wilds and how to get past the horde" the weirdly grateful look Morrigan had in her eyes, vanished as soon as she heard that sentence.

"Have _I_ no say in this?" she complained to her mother. No, she hadn't. Flemeth made few very good points and Morrigan couldn't find herself able to reply to those, therefore she gathered her belongings and joined the two Wardens. Garrett had observed her interactions with her mother closely, mother and daughter alright, but there was something definitely off and he didn't like it. Most of all, he didn't like Flemeth's attitude towards Morrigan, it seemed like she enjoyed making her feel bad about anything, but once again, he bit his tongue and didn't say anything. He was in no position to do so. Alistair, unlike him wasn't too pleased with the arrangement, but he was no fool. They needed Morrigan, and he knew it. Their first stop was going to be Lothering in order to gather information, resources and equipment, as Morrigan suggested once she got out of the hut with her belongings.

"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens. I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far and you will find much you need there. Or, if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide, the choice is yours" she said with an annoyed look. The witch was surprised to find Garrett smirking at her.

"I'd rather have you speak your mind" he told her and Flemeth laughed.

"You will regret saying that" she replied, amused.

"Dear, sweet mother, you are so kind to cast me out like this. How fondly shall I remember this moment" Morrigan said sarcastically, repressed anger dripping from every word and Garrett's smirk vanished once more, causing him to look between the two.

"Well, I always said if you want something done, do it yourself, or hear about it for a decade or two afterwards" Flemeth said as if Morrigan hadn't just tried to tell her she didn't like how she was being spoken to. Alistair on the other hand, seemed quite oblivious to the tension between the two women as he turned to Garrett.  
"I just… do you really want to take her along because her mother says so?" he asked his friend.

"We need all the help we can get, Alistair. It's not going to be an easy journey" Garrett replied calmly.

"I guess you're right. The Grey Wardens have always taken allies where they could find them" he agreed. In any other occasion, the young Cousland wouldn't have liked the warden's attitude, but he understood where Alistair was coming from. Six months among the wardens don't make up for years growing up to become a Templar.

"I'm so pleased to have your approval" and that sarcasm from the young witch made Garrett realize she had no idea and couldn't care less, therefore he tried to get back to business.

"We should get going, the sooner we get there, the better" he said and so they left the wilds. Garrett Cousland's journey had just begun.

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**And there you have the prologue! I really hope the rest of this will turn out to be less boring.  
Until next chapter!  
Thank you all for reading!**


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